


Begin Again

by Jestana



Series: Femslash February 2021 [2]
Category: Gosford Park (2001)
Genre: Don't Post To Another Site, F/F, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29159910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: Mary flies out to California to visit Elsie and tell her something important.
Relationships: Elsie/Mary MacEachran
Series: Femslash February 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138613
Collections: Femslash February





	Begin Again

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Femslash February 2021. The prompt was 'coming out'.

"Who're you?" The strange woman startled Mary for a moment before she remembered that Elsie had housemates.

Clearing her throat, she said, "I'm looking for Elsie Barnes."

"You another Brit?" the woman asked, looking Mary over from head to toe.

Before Mary could formulate a reply, a familiar voice asked, "Jean, who's-- Mary!"

"Hello, Elsie." Mary couldn't help the relief that washed over her when Elsie appeared behind her housemate.

Much to her surprise, Elsie swatted the woman's bottom. "Stop being rude, Jean, and let her in."

"Only for you, Elsie," Jean retorted, shuffling back with Elsie so Mary could step inside. "Come in, then, Brit."

Wiping her feet, Mary stepped into the house, looking around in wonder. "My name is Mary Maceachran. Nice to meet you."

"Jean Scott." They briefly shook hands, and then Jean wandered off.

Elsie gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry about Jean. She can be a bit of a bitch if she doesn't have work."

"I heard that!" Jean's voice echoed from somewhere in the house.

Rolling her eyes, Elsie called back, "You were meant to!" Taking Mary's hand, she led her through the house. "C'mon. You can share my room. D'you mind sharing a bed?"

"I don't mind," Mary assured her, tightening her grip on her valise at the thought of sharing a bed with Elsie. "Um, there's a reason I came out here, besides visiting you."

Looking curious, Elsie unlocked a door and pushed it open, gesturing for Mary to enter ahead of her. When she did, she found a room slightly larger than the one they'd shared at Gosford Park. The one bed was larger than they'd had and, when Mary sat on it, the mattress was much softer. Elsie sat down beside Mary. "Why else are you here, then?"

"I, um." Wishing she hadn't set her valise down, Mary smoothed her suddenly-sweaty palms down her skirt. "I can't stop thinking about that weekend at Gosford Park."

Elsie rolled her eyes just as something scratched at the door. Getting up, she opened it to let in a familiar dog. "Pip, here, is about the only good thing to come out of that weekend for me."

"It got you to California," Mary reminded her, scratching behind the dog's ears when Elsie carried him over to the bed.

Shrugging, Elsie set him down and he wandered over to curl up in a nest of blankets in the corner. "Why can't you stop thinking about that weekend?"

"I-- you--" Mary stopped and blew out a frustrated breath. She'd _known_ this would happen when she'd decided to come visit Elsie.

She jumped when Elsie took her hand, her voice suddenly quiet and gentle. "What about me?"

"I want to kiss you," Mary finally blurted, and then covered her mouth with her free hand, surprised that she'd managed to get the words out.

Elsie stared at her for a long moment, and then, wonder of wonders, a smile slowly spread across her face. "Really?"

"Yes. I didn't realize it was what I wanted until a few months ago," Mary confided after dropping her hand.

Cupping Mary's cheek with her free hand, Elsie asked, her voice low and husky now, "Why don't you, then?"

"What?" Mary stared at her friend in surprise, too stunned to do anything.

Shaking her head with a fond smile, Elsie bent to kiss Mary. The only other person Mary had kissed before was Robert Parks and that paled in comparison to kissing Elsie. Light and testing at first, when she sighed and moved closer, the kiss became firmer, more certain. Eventually, they needed to breathe and Elsie gently eased back from the kiss. When Mary met her eyes, she asked, "What happened to Parks?"

"Kissing him doesn't feel _nearly_ as nice as kissing you," Mary told her, catching her breath.

Elsie absently fidgeted with Mary's hand, tracing the bones with her fingers. "I don't know how to do this."

"Do what?" Mary wished Elsie would look at her.

Tossing her head, Elsie replied, "A relationship with someone."

"Neither do I," she admitted, shifting closer so they were pressed together, shoulder to hip to knee. "We'll figure it out together."

Elsie smiled, cupping her cheek once again. "Yes, we will."

Smiling back, Mary stretched up to kiss her again.

**Author's Note:**

> Not _exactly_ coming out, but it's implied. We're talking the 1930s, after all.


End file.
